Arrangement and method for controlling train platform doors

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an arrangement for controlling train platform doors of a platform, comprising a door control unit on the platform side for controlling the opening and closing of the train platform doors and means for establishing a communication connection between the door control unit on the platform side and a control unit which controls the opening and closing of the train doors, wherein independently of the communication connection operating means are provided for detecting the correct stopping of a train at the platform, wherein independently of the communication connection operating means are provided for detecting the opening and closing of train doors of a train stopping at the platform, wherein means are provided for recognising a malfunction in the communication connection between the door control unit on the platform side and the control unit which controls the train doors, and wherein the door control unit on the platform side is designed to control the opening and closing of the train platform doors independently of the communication connection.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device and a method for controlling platform doors on a platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, it has become more and more common for track areas in railway stations to be separated from the platforms, most often by glass walls with “platform doors”. This not only improves the safety of the passengers, but also enables the railway stations to be air conditioned more economically in terms of energy.

Various methods and devices are known for controlling the platform and train doors so that their opening and closing is synchronised as closely as possible. German Patent No. DE 10 2004 045 558 B3 describes a method for controlling doors on a railed vehicle and the corresponding doors in a platform wall, wherein the door availability (the presence and ability to function of a door) of the vehicle and the platform wall are transmitted via a wirelessly supported data exchange channel between the vehicle and the platform, processed and then transferred to a passenger information system in the vehicle and on the platform before the vehicle stops at the next station. On the platform, it is then intended for communication between each of the corresponding doors to take place via infrared interfaces.

A device for controlling the doors of a railed vehicle and a platform wall, wherein a dedicated transceiver is assigned to each door of the vehicle and each door of the platform wall is described in GB 2 436 152 A. Communication between a door of the vehicle and a door of the platform wall takes place directly via the respective transceiver, and the control commands for the doors are issued from the vehicle.

A method and a system for the synchronous control of platform doors and train doors are known from WO 2011/069503 A1, and have proven particularly successful in practice. In this case, a communication connection is established between a door control unit on the train and a door control unit on the platform after the train has stopped, via which the synchronous opening and closing of the train doors and the platform doors is then coordinated between the control units, wherein advantageously pairs of train and platform doors located opposite one another are formed, wherein each pair of one train door and one platform door can be controlled individually, without reference to any of the other pairs. With this arrangement, in the event of a malfunction in the train door, for example, it is possible to leave the train door and the corresponding platform door closed while other doors are opened. It also enables trapping protection to be provided with regard to a specific pair of doors, so that if an obstruction is detected as the doors are closing, it is possible to open only the corresponding train and platform door pair, while the other pairs can be closed.

Platform wall systems are usually implemented on platforms that experience heavy passenger traffic, where trains often stop within a minute of each other. A malfunction for any reason in the control of the opening and closing of the platform doors can therefore cause significant disruption to the timetable and operations in the rail network concerned. Therefore, there is a desire to have a backup system available, which is able to reliably control the opening and closing of the platform doors in the event that communication between the train and the platform is interrupted.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object underlying the invention is to describe an arrangement and a method for controlling the opening and closing of platform doors, with which it is possible to open and close the platform doors substantially synchronously with the train doors if the communication link between a control unit controlling the train doors and a control unit controlling the platform doors fails.

This object is solved with an arrangement having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 4. Coordinate claim 10 relates to the use of an arrangement with various sensors in order to create a backup system for controlling the opening and closing of platform doors. The subordinate claims relate to advantageous variants and implementation forms.

The invention makes it possible to intervene immediately in the event of a malfunction in the communication link between the train door controller and the platform door controller, and to open and close the platform door almost synchronously with the train doors, so that the passengers do not notice the malfunction in the communication link, and particularly so that there is no delay in the movement of the train.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, purely exemplary and non-limiting description of preferred embodiments and performance models.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The arrangement according to the invention comprises a door control unit on the platform for controlling the opening and closing of the platform doors of a platform equipped with a platform wall to separate the platform from the track area, and means for establishing a communication link between the door control unit on the platform and a control unit that controls the opening and closing of the train doors of a train stopping at the platform.

In order to establish the communication link, one wireless transceiver unit operating in the low frequency range between about 50 and 200 kHz. With these, a communication link may then be established between the control unit on the train and the control unit on the platform, via which the opening and closing of the train and the platform doors may be synchronised, as described in WO 2011/069503 A1. In this context, the train door controller is usually the master system that determines when doors are to be opened and closed, and the platform door controller system follows its instructions. A higher level controller may also be provided that controls the train operation completely automatically and enables operation without a train operator. Such a controller would then be the master system and could also control the operation of the platform doors. Although it is essential to establish a link between such a controller and a vehicle without an operator to ensure the safe operation of the train, the link with the platform doors may be disrupted because the arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to control the platform doors without the need to communicate with the train or a higher-level controller, depending on the opening and closing of the train doors.

The frequency range referred to above has the advantage that a link established therewith will suffer practically no interference from wireless signals emitted by mobile telephones, WLAN networks or Bluetooth connections. Moreover, corresponding transceiver units can easily be designed so that the signal strength required for good reception is advantageously attenuated relatively quickly, specifically within a propagation range of about 60-80 cm, so that the size of the offset between the transceiver units on the platform and those on the train can also be determined based on the strength of a communication link established therewith, which in turn may be used to confirm that the train is functioning correctly.

In this context, the term “correct functioning” is understood in the normal way to mean that the train stops at a position in which the train doors are positioned opposite the platform doors in such a way that passengers are able to cross from the train to the platform and from the platform to the train. Since the platform doors are usually somewhat wider than the train doors, the train may stop within a certain tolerance range.

Since the invention is intended to provide a capability for controlling the opening and closing of platform doors precisely in the event that the communication link between the train and the platform is disrupted or cannot be established at all, according to the invention means are provided for capturing the correct stop of a train at the platform that are able to function independently of the communication link. These means may include for example a series of light barriers in the region of the front or rear end of the train, or in the region of the wheels, and may be capable of detecting the presence of a train in a certain area, RFID chip reader units on the platform that can read out the RFID chips on a train when the train comes to a stop within a certain area, and/or a image capturing and analysis unit that is able to capture and analyse an image of the track area. Particularly preferred are “wheel or axle sensors”, which are mounted on the rails and detect whether a wheel or an axle of a railed vehicle is located in a certain position. If the vehicles are equipped with rubber wheels, as is the case for some monorail systems, for instance, the train position may also be determined using induction loops.

In the currently preferred embodiment, three wheel sensors are installed on the platform to confirm that a train has stopped correctly beside the platform, one sensor being located in the area of the front of the train, one in the middle, and one at the rear. These make it possible to generate error messages if the sensors produce messages that differ from each other. Since it is unlikely that two sensors will fail at the same time, for the purposes of the subsequent procedure, if two sensors confirm that the train has stopped correctly, but the third sensor does not detect a train, it may be assumed that the train did stop correctly, and the platform doors may be opened and closed in the manner explained in the following. At the same time, an error message may be generated, signalling the malfunction of a sensors so that it can be replaced.

According to the invention, means are also provided for capturing the opening and closing of the train doors of a train that is standing at the platform, wherein these means are also able to function independently of the communication link. Said means may be of various designs, and may comprise for example a camera, a laser range finder, a laser scanner, an ultrasound transceiver, a microphone and/or RFID chip reader units. The precise mode of operation of said means will be discussed fully in the following.

The arrangement according to the invention also includes means for recognising a breakdown in the data communication that enables the opening and closing of the train and platform doors to be synchronised. Said means are preferably computer implemented and their design may be optimised variously for the respective operational application thereof according to the configuration of the means for establishing data communication. For example, they may be created in the form of a software module that compares a signal emitted by the means for detecting the opening and closing of the train doors with the status of the train doors reported to the platform door control unit via the communication link. Since the means for capturing the opening and closing of train doors are designed redundantly, as will be explained later, if a comparison reveals a difference between the door states reported via he communication link and the actually captured door states, it is concluded that there is a fault in the communication link. Of course the term “fault” here is also understood to refer to the case in which it is not possible to establish a communication link that enables the train and platform doors to be synchronised.

The arrangement according to the invention provides that the platform door control unit, which when the communication link is functioning normally, usually forwards to the platform doors the commands to open and close the doors, emitted for example by the train door control unit or by a higher level control unit controlling an automated train operation, is designed in such manner that it is able to control the opening and closing of the platform doors independently of the communication link if the communication link is faulty.

In a preferred embodiment, the arrangement includes means for outputting a waiting signal for the train, which means are controlled by the platform door control unit Such a variation advantageously makes it possible to prevent the train from moving off in cases in which—for whatever reasons—the platform doors are still open, but this status was not reported to the train operator or a control unit operating the train automatically due to a fault in the communication link.

The method according to the invention may function as follows, for example: after a train enters a station, a communication link between a platform door control unit and a train door control unit is established and launched, as described for example in WO 2011/069503 A1. Independently of this start for establishing the communication link, which may or may not be opened successfully, the correct stopping position of the train is captured on the platform, particularly by means of wheel sensors, induction loops, or in any other way adapted to the respective implementation site and the capabilities available there.

If a communication link is created, it may be used for synchronising the opening and closing of the train and platform doors, e.g., in such manner that the train door control unit as the master system triggers the opening and closing of both the train and the platform doors.

According to the invention the opening and closing of the train doors on the train standing at the platform are captured regardless of whether or not a communication link exists between the platform and the train door control units, and this too may be carried out in various ways depending on the operating location and the equipment available there. For example, laser range finders, known per se, may be provided in the area of one or preferably more platform doors on the platform, wherein each of which scans a train door of a train standing at the platform, wherein the opening and closing of the train doors can be captured by appropriate analysis of the signals.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, laser scanners are use to detect the opening and closing of the train doors, and are secured in the area of a platform door and each not only scan a train door selectively, which can lead to measurement errors, but they also scan a given surface or angle region, e.g., an angle region of 90° in a measurement plane inclined downward from a laser scanner mounted securely above a platform door, and measure the distance between the respective laser scanner and an object located in front of it. This data is transmitted to an electronic analysis unit. The measurement plane may be aligned for example such that a laser scanner captures the track bed when there is no vehicle at the platform. When a train enters the station, the laser scanner then detects the surface of the train with closed doors. If the train has stopped in such manner that the train and platform are located opposite and facing each other, the laser scanner detects an opening and closing of the train doors over at least a part of the train door opening width. The laser scanner continuously scans the space in front of it, so changes in the position of the train doors can be detected and the movements of the train doors can be controlled accordingly. Depending on the model of train door, it may be provided that the laser scanners scan the opening exposed by the train doors or, if the train doors slide along the outside of the train during opening and closing, they may scan the area of the outer train wall that the train doors slide over when they are opening and closing.

Alternatively or in addition to laser scanners, it is also possible to mount one camera in the region of each of one or more platform doors, and to capture the opening and closing of the train doors by analysis of video images of the train doors.

The opening and closing of the train doors can also be captured by ultrasound runtime measurement using corresponding ultrasound transceivers arranged in the region of the platform doors.

Since RFID chips and the corresponding reader units are becoming less and less expensive, and since RFID chips are also easily attachable to train doors, it is also possible to attach RFID chip reader units in the area of the platform doors, for example three or more reader units side by side to capture a movement along said sensors of an RFID chip attached to the door of a train stopping at the platform and therewith the opening and closing of the train doors.

Since train doors usually generate certain distinctive noises and acoustic signals when opening and closing, the opening and closing of the train doors may also be captured by analysis of an acoustic signal picked up by one or more microphones arranged in the region of the platform doors.

According to the invention, the presence of a fault in the communication link between the platform door control unit and the train door control unit is determined e.g., by comparing the data delivered by the means for capturing the correct stoppage of a train with the data delivered by the means for setting up a communication link. For example, it may be that the means for capturing the correct stopping position of a train have determined that a train has stopped in position that allows passengers to alight and board, but that a communication link was not established. It may also be that although a communication link was established between the platform door control unit and a train door control unit, the platform door control is not registered by the train door control unit because of a fault in the communication link, that the train doors are opening or closing while the means for capturing the opening and closing of the train doors capture the movement of the train doors. In such cases, the platform door control unit is given autonomy from the train door control unit such that it does not have to wait for any information from the train door control unit, but instead can control the opening and closing of the platform doors on the basis of the captured opening and closing of the train doors. In such as case, the platform doors then follow the movement of the train doors, in which case it may be advantageously provided that the speed with which the platform doors move in cases of a malfunction of the communication link is slightly faster than in the situation in which the communication link is functioning correctly, to ensure that a time lag does not arise between the motion of the train doors and the motion of the platform doors that may be noticeable by the passengers.

At least when a malfunction of the communication link exists between the platform and the train door control units, it is advantageous if the platform door control unit generates a wait signal for the train. In this context, it may be provided that such a wait signal is emitted visually in known manner. If the trains are operated fully automatically, that is to say without a train operator, it is not necessary to output a visual signal. The wait signal may be output in another, machine-readable mode, e.g., including indirectly by cutting of the supply of electric current an electrically powered train needs in order to move for as long as the platform doors are open.

5

Since the opening and closing of the train doors in modern trains is usually centrally controlled for all of the train doors in such manner that they are opened and closed by synchronously, in theory it is sufficient to monitor the opening and closing of a single train door. However, it is advantageously provided that the opening and closing of at least three train doors, particularly one train door in the front section of the train, one train door in the middle section of the train and one train door in the rear section of the train is captured, and preferably via three independently and separately functioning sensor devices, which may be of the same or different types. In this way, a redundant system is created that functions reliably even if one sensor device fails.

The failure or malfunction of one sensor device, e.g., one of the laser scanning devices described in the preceding, may be detected by comparing the results from all three sensor devices with each other on a continuous basis.

Finally, the invention also relates to the use of an arrangement with various spatially separated sensors for detecting the correct stopping position of a train at a platform equipped with platform doors and having various spatially separate sensors for capturing the opening and closing of the train doors of a train stopped at the platform to serve as a backup system for the controller for the opening and closing of the platform doors. This backup system then takes control of the function of opening and closing the platform doors in cases in which a communication link cannot be established, or if the communication link malfunctions between a platform door control unit and a control unit controlling the train doors.

In the case of a fully automated system, in which trains without a human vehicle operator are controlled centrally, the control unit that controls the train doors, is also responsible for control of the platform doors. To ensure smooth operation, a substitute controller is then provided on the platform, and if a connection cannot be established with the central controller, this substitute controller takes charge of opening and closing the platform doors on the basis of the registered opening and closing of the train doors. 

1. Arrangement for controlling platform doors of a platform, comprising a platform door control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the platform doors, and means for establishing a communication link between the platform door control unit and a control unit that controls the opening and closing of the train doors, characterised in that means for capturing the correct stopping position of a train are provided on the platform and function independently of the communication link, means for capturing the opening and closing of train doors of a train stopped at the platform are provided and function independently of the communication link, means for detecting a malfunction in the communication link between the platform door control unit and the control unit that controls the train doors are provided, and the platform door control unit is designed such that it is able to control the opening and closing of the platform doors independently of the communication link with the controller for controlling the train doors.
 2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that means for outputting a wait signal for the train are provided, and are controlled by the platform door control unit.
 3. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the means for capturing the opening and closing of train doors that function independently of the communication link include at least one of the following means: a camera, a laser range finder, a laser scanner, a microphone, an ultrasound transceiver, an RFID chip reader unit.
 4. Method for controlling platform doors on a platform, including launching the establishment of a communication link between a platform door control unit and a control unit that controls the train doors of a train that is standing at the platform, characterised by detecting the halt of the train in the correct position at the platform independently of the communication link, detecting the opening and closing of the train doors of the train standing at the platform independently of the communication link, determining the presence of a fault in the communication link between the platform door control unit and the control unit that controls the train doors and, if a fault does exist in the communication link, controlling the opening and closing of the platform doors on the basis of the detected opening and closing of the train doors.
 5. Method according to claim 4, characterised by the generation of a wait signal for the train for as long as the platform doors are open.
 6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by scanning the train doors with a laser, preferably by means of a laser scanner that scans an angular or surface range.
 7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by analysing video images of the train doors.
 8. Method according to claim 7, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by ultrasound runtime measurement and/or by analysing an acoustic signal and/or by evaluating the signals from RFID chip reader units.
 9. Method according to claim 8, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by means of at least three sensor devices functioning independently of each other, which may be of the same or different construction, particularly by means of three laser scanners.
 10. Use of an arrangement with various spatially separated sensors for detecting the correct stopping position of a train at a platform equipped with platform doors and having various spatially separate sensors for capturing the opening and closing of the train doors of a train stopped at the platform to serve as a backup system for the controller of the opening and closing of the platform doors, which backup system then takes control of the function of opening and closing the platform doors in cases in which a communication link cannot be established, or if the communication link malfunctions between a platform door control unit and a control unit controlling the train doors.
 11. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for capturing the opening and closing of train doors that function independently of the communication link include at least one of the following means: a camera, a laser range finder, a laser scanner, a microphone, an ultrasound transceiver, an RFID chip reader unit.
 12. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by scanning the train doors with a laser, preferably by means of a laser scanner that scans an angular or surface range.
 13. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by analysing video images of the train doors.
 14. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by analysing video images of the train doors.
 15. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by ultrasound runtime measurement and/or by analysing an acoustic signal and/or by evaluating the signals from RFID chip reader units.
 16. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by ultrasound runtime measurement and/or by analysing an acoustic signal and/or by evaluating the signals from RFID chip reader units.
 17. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by ultrasound runtime measurement and/or by analysing an acoustic signal and/or by evaluating the signals from RFID chip reader units.
 18. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by means of at least three sensor devices functioning independently of each other, which may be of the same or different construction, particularly by means of three laser scanners.
 19. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by means of at least three sensor devices functioning independently of each other, which may be of the same or different construction, particularly by means of three laser scanners.
 20. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the opening and closing of the train doors is captured by means of at least three sensor devices functioning independently of each other, which may be of the same or different construction, particularly by means of three laser scanners. 